What are the differences between AD and AAD?

What are the differences between AD and AAD?

The main difference between Active Directory (AD) and Azure Active Directory (AAD) is that AD is an on-premises directory service, while AAD is a cloud-based directory service. Here are some of the key differences between the two:
Deployment: AD is deployed on-premises in a Windows Server environment, while AAD is a cloud-based service that is managed by Microsoft.

Authentication: AD is primarily used for authenticating users and devices within an organization's on-premises network, while AAD is designed for authenticating users and devices for cloud-based applications and services.

Management: AD is managed locally, while ADD is managed through a web-based portal.

Access Management: AD provides access management for on-premises resources, while AAD provides access management for cloud-based resources, including SaaS applications.

Integration: AD integrates with Windows Server and other on-premises Microsoft products, while AAD integrates with cloud-based Microsoft products such as Office 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365 and with a wide range of applications and services, including third-party providers.

User Management: AD is used for managing user accounts and permissions within an organization's on-premises network, while AAD is used for managing user accounts and permissions for cloud-based applications and services.

Multi-tenancy: ADD is a multi-tenant service that can be used by organizations of all sizes, while AD is limited to the size of the local environment.

Overall, AD and AAD serve different purposes, with AD focused on on-premises directory services and AAD focused on cloud-based directory services. However, they can work together to provide a comprehensive identity and access management solution for organizations with both on-premises and cloud-based resources.

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